NewsInterview: Kaide Gordon on pre-season, return from injury and aims for 2024-25

The Liverpool forward is with the squad out on pre-season tour in the USA this summer, with the club currently in Philadelphia ahead of facing Arsenal tonight.

He has featured in both of the Reds' pre-season friendlies so far, getting 45 minutes against Preston North End and a little under half an hour versus Real Betis last Friday.

Those opportunities have been savoured greatly by Gordon, who returned from a 19-month absence during last season.

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He told Liverpoolfc.com: "It has been good, a different experience obviously with a new coach. But it's good to get away with the lads and I've enjoyed it so far, it's been good.

"It's my first [pre-season] in two years I think. Obviously I've been out for a while so it's just good to get back around it and get up to the rhythm, so I'm enjoying it.

"You don't realise when you're in it, how much you miss it when you're out of it, to be fair. Obviously it's just good to be back involved in it, to be honest."

On being sidelined, he added: "[It's] the hardest time, there's always ups and downs – you think you're coming back at a certain time and you get told no, it's longer.

"It's definitely the hardest time I've been through, but when you're coming towards the end of it, you start to feel like you can see the end of the tunnel. Now I'm back, it's just trying to stay back and keep involved with it all.

"100 per cent [I feel stronger for it], because you're just by yourself. The lads are out training and you can see them training and it's obviously tough. But when you get back out there, you start to realise how much you miss it even more."

Gordon's comeback last term involved three senior appearances for Liverpool in addition to regular outings with Barry Lewtas' U21s.

As he now gets himself ready for the campaign ahead, the England youth international is eager to make up for lost time in any way possible.

"Just get minutes, to be honest, wherever it is," he said of his 2024-25 aims. "Just hopefully get minutes.

"I feel like I need to get a good run of games this season so I can get back up to speed with everything and get back to where I was beforehand."

Since returning for pre-season earlier this month, Gordon has been taking on board the fresh guidance served to him by new head coach Arne Slot and his coaching staff.

"It's definitely different to how the old gaffer was, but I'm enjoying it so far and I'll just see how the season goes, to be honest," the No.49 added.

"I've been speaking to John [Heitinga] quite a lot, he's helping me with my finishing and all kinds of stuff like that, my positioning. It's definitely different but I'm enjoying it."

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